Appart from being a great shotmaker with instinctive powerful,clean and crisp shots,this guy has a brain as well.He isn't afraid of anyone,never quits and is a born champion.

But what really sets him appart from the rest of the field,is his personality.Tennis needed desperately a guy-a top guy-that could show to the world that you don't have to be a robot to win a tennis match.

And he is a real gentleman,a class act,and funny too.Is not hesitant to clap with his racquet when his opponent makes a great shot.When was the last time you saw Federer or Nadal do that?..
Tennis lately with the Nadals and Federers (whose proficiency of course is not questioned) seemed like anything but a fun sport.Despite what people might think,those guys turn people away from tennis.Djokovic and Baghdatis are the two young guys that can really make a difference.

As much as I like the kid, we still have to see if he has the endurance and stamina to last in a slam event. So far, he hasn't shown that he can go deep into a best of 5 tournament. It seems in all those events, he runs out of gas midway through.

in 1.5 years, many of you will be moaning at how boring he is. seems like we're always looking for something new.

As much as I like the kid, we still have to see if he has the endurance and stamina to last in a slam event. So far, he hasn't shown that he can go deep into a best of 5 tournament.

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To be fair, he had to endure some inordinately long matches at wimbledon(on back to back days no less)
grasscourt matches are rarely longer than 3 hours, yet novak played 4 & 5 hour matches with Hewitt & Bagdhatis!

I think that may be the most hours of tennis played by someone in 2 days in the history of the open era, must certainly be a grasscourt record.

I doubt there will be any 4 hour matches played by Novak at the US Open this year. and there certainly won't be any 5 hour matches played by anyone.

i like to watch him play but he just strikes me as someone who thrives on attention. Sometimes he is cute and funny, then sometimes he is borderline annoying, but that is my opinion. Thank goodness he was able to defeat Fed and maybe put some doubt into who will be the US Open champion though.

His ball bouncing is the most irritating quirk of any player on the men's side. I've watched him a coupla times and to be honest I think he's pretty dull as a tennis player- funny off it, but he doesn't excite me like, say, Baghdatis.

"It’s a measure of how well Djokovic was playing last week that I was not in the least surprised by this result. As the match began, I found myself thinking he might even be the slight favorite. This may have been as much a result of Djokovic’s unshakeable confidence in his abilities as anything else. I knew he would believe in himself, and that’s the half the battle in a Masters final against Federer.

But there were more tangible reasons to think Djoko had a good shot, one of them being that in the two rounds before the final he was playing the best, most elevated, tennis I’d seen from him since Miami in March. In his quarterfinal against Roddick, the Serb sprayed his forehand at the start, but once that settled down it was clear he was a level above the former world No. 1. Compared to Roddick, Djoko flowed around the court and tracked down hard-hit balls effortlessly. Is it possible to improve your anticipation and court sense over the course of a couple months? Probably not—more likely Djokovic is just very comfortable with his footwork on hard courts and can explode off of them more easily than he can on clay or grass. Whatever the reason, by the end of the day Saturday he had made both Roddick and Rafael Nadal look incomplete by comparison. (Nadal had a solid week and improved on his result from last year, but again his backhand was exposed as vulnerable on hard courts, particularly by Djokovic, who took advantage of Rafa’s floating mid-court slices. That’s a shot the Serb, with his smooth and consistent two-hander, rarely has to resort to.)

Federer felt the pressure from the first point. You could see he thought this was going to be a serious challenge; the upstart he had dismissed so easily in the past was ready this time. Federer came out pressing on his forehand and sent a bunch of them long to go down 3-0. He was missing it to the point where Djokovic started to go right for it. That’s not really a viable tactic against Federer, though, and he put an end to it with Djokovic serving at 3-1, 15-0. The Serb approached to the forehand side and Federer let loose with an angry and accurate (Fed’s one of those rare guys whose accuracy improves with the anger he puts into a shot) crosscourt pass that changed the momentum completely. A couple minutes later it was 3-3; we were going to see just how ready Djokovic was.

The dynamic of the match was set after that: Djokovic was the more solid, steady, invulnerable player; Federer was more explosive and erratic. It’s been mentioned in the past, by me and Juan José at Bodo’s Tennis World, that Djokovic has a knack for finding ways to win; he doesn’t just own one style. Against Nadal, he looked to move to the center of the court and take advantage of his opponent’s short slice. Against Federer, he went in a different direction. Recognizing that Federer could take control of a point with one forehand, Djokovic matched him by going for broke more often on his own forehand than he normally does. With Federer serving for the first set at 6-5, Djokovic let loose with one of those forehands at break point, sent it past Federer, and sent the set to a tiebreaker. Then up 4-1 in the breaker, he did the same on the other side of the court, sprinting to his right to drill a spectacular forehand from outside the alley to effectively wrap up the set.

More remarkable than the strategic change was the fact that Djokovic had the versatility to pull it off without getting out of his game. Still, he is human, and he began to overhit midway through the second set, drilling one into the net to get broken and go down 2-4, and then going for too much again when he was up a break at 4-3 in the third. But like Nadal, the essential safety and margin of Djokovic’s game helps him in the clutch. He can always roll either of his ground strokes well within the lines without losing control of a point; plus, throughout the Montreal event, I felt like he was more consistent—with both his serve and his strokes—than he generally has been in the past. Very few cheap errors came off his racquet, and that remained true even down the stretch as he was trying to beat the world No. 1 for the first time. Djokovic also showed off an improvisational skill within points that kept Federer guessing. When Fed tried his trusty short slice backhand crosscourt, Djokovic got there easily and had the presence of mind to chip it up the line, surprising Federer into an ugly volley miss.

In the end, it was Federer who blinked. After Djokovic hit an ace to make it 1-1 in the third-set tiebreaker, Federer hit three straight forehands long and a backhand wide to go down 1-6. Djokovic ended it with flair, putting Federer on a string with an elegant drop-lob combination to complete the biggest win of his career.

This loss may be more meaningful to Federer than any he has suffered to Nadal (other than the French Open matches, of course) because Djokovic is a threat to him on his turf, hard courts, and he’s only getting better for the foreseeable future. Besides his obvious abilities, one thing I think helped Djokovic in this match was his long-time insistence that he’s going to be No. 1 some day. The kid has gotten under Federer’s skin in the past, and I doubt it was simply because he used to take dubious injury timeouts. His pronouncements about his future status had to be a bit of an insult to Federer, who rightly sees himself as the only guy who can make any claims about being No. 1 in the near future. I think this made Federer press, uncharacteristically, at the both the beginning and the end of the final on Sunday. Of course, Djokovic had to be good enough to back up all those pronouncements. Now we know he is.

Has the men’s game just seen a changing of the guard? We won’t know that until the end of the U.S. Open. But it’s no longer a two-man tour. Let's call it an expanding of the guard"

Appart from being a great shotmaker with instinctive powerful,clean and crisp shots,this guy has a brain as well.He isn't afraid of anyone,never quits and is a born champion.

But what really sets him appart from the rest of the field,is his personality.Tennis needed desperately a guy-a top guy-that could show to the world that you don't have to be a robot to win a tennis match.

And he is a real gentleman,a class act,and funny too.Is not hesitant to clap with his racquet when his opponent makes a great shot.When was the last time you saw Federer or Nadal do that?..
Tennis lately with the Nadals and Federers (whose proficiency of course is not questioned) seemed like anything but a fun sport.Despite what people might think,those guys turn people away from tennis.Djokovic and Baghdatis are the two young guys that can really make a difference.

So count me in the Djoko bandwagon.This guy is the real thing.

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yes i believe that novak is going to develope into a great player ,although he has not win a grandslam yet but remember he is only 20. he will come out with surprise. so, count me in too

I'm sure Novak will be like Safin, he'll win one or two Slams and few MS, be there or there abouts but not really make it super big, not Federer or Sampras big. Btw I wouldn't read too much into his defeat of Federer in Montreal, Federer said it himself afterwards that it was a match he should have won. When Djokovic defeats Federer at Aussie or US Open, then we can start talking about a "changing of the guard".

Remember when Murray beat the Feds in cincy last year, and suddenly it was, "is Murray the new kid on the block?", I think people are in too much of a rush to hype someone up. It was the same with Federer after Wimbledon in 2003, you never know how these things will turn out, gotta take it one tournament at a time.

What I find appealing is the sense that Djokovic is really enjoying his life as a tennis pro, on and off the court. Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic are the same way -- all too rare, unfortunately.

I'm also impressed with his quiet determination to improve and take his game as far as he possibly can (hiring Mark Woodforde to help him with his volleys, for example). He has an absolute belief in his tennis, which imo made the difference when he beat Roddick and Nadal and Fed in Montreal.

I won't argue against his skill. It is clear he's a true challenger to the top players.

But he's no Safin. Safin is one of few genuine personalities in the game. We all love to dish on him, criticize him for flaking out, but deep down we all continue to wait for him to deliver another stunning performance. He has chosen to live his tennis life differently than what mainstream tennis fans and commentators are used to. Just listen to Mary Carillo lament "the fall of safin", "the waste of talent" blah blah. Try and tell me this guy isn't enjoying his life, look at the chicks in his box. He's not a happy-go-lucky, must-make-it-to-the-top-at-all-costs guy. So what. It is clear he's conflicted, has anger management issues, isn't necessarily focused on playing the best tennis he possibly can. Sound familiar? He's Everyman in a lot of ways. This is why I like him.

Lost his balls? Hardly. To live the fast-lane life that he does, and still show up for the tournaments, that take brass ones.

If I were a tennis pro, I'd do it like Safin, no question. He's having a great time.

Djokovic is great for tennis. Yes, he loves to "entertain" but at least his manner isn't throwing racquets and screaming at people. You don't have to be much of a tennis fan to see that he's going to continue to improve and be among the top players, if not the top player, for quite some time.

Djoko, Nadal, Safin, Baggy, Tipsavaric (sp?), Roger and a few others, all bring a new color to tennis, each of them very different in persona, and each contributes a lot to the sport from a purely entertainment standpoint.

In my view in addition to great tennis:

Djoko... the fun personality, respectful of opponents, showman on court

Nadal... all heart, never die spirit, quirky, quirky and considered HOT by many

I won't argue against his skill. It is clear he's a true challenger to the top players.

But he's no Safin. Safin is one of few genuine personalities in the game. We all love to dish on him, criticize him for flaking out, but deep down we all continue to wait for him to deliver another stunning performance. He has chosen to live his tennis life differently than what mainstream tennis fans and commentators are used to. Just listen to Mary Carillo lament "the fall of safin", "the waste of talent" blah blah. Try and tell me this guy isn't enjoying his life, look at the chicks in his box. He's not a happy-go-lucky, must-make-it-to-the-top-at-all-costs guy. So what. It is clear he's conflicted, has anger management issues, isn't necessarily focused on playing the best tennis he possibly can. Sound familiar? He's Everyman in a lot of ways. This is why I like him.

Lost his balls? Hardly. To live the fast-lane life that he does, and still show up for the tournaments, that take brass ones.

If I were a tennis pro, I'd do it like Safin, no question. He's having a great time.

Did I mention the chicks?

cheers

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Yep you did mention the chicks, he is def more into them then tennis. I think he is too much into chicks and too litle into tennis to be a player. As I wrote somewhere , he thought about retiring earlier this year, I dont think that is what you would call having balls or whatever, I think he just cant stand losses. That about safin, compared to djokovic he is better player when 100% but djokovic is managing much more consistency at 19 years old than safin at 25. Though safin at 19 had his peaks so to say. Remains to be seen, but I dont admire safins personality very much.

But he's no Safin. Safin is one of few genuine personalities in the game. We all love to dish on him, criticize him for flaking out, but deep down we all continue to wait for him to deliver another stunning performance. He has chosen to live his tennis life differently than what mainstream tennis fans and commentators are used to. Just listen to Mary Carillo lament "the fall of safin", "the waste of talent" blah blah. Try and tell me this guy isn't enjoying his life, look at the chicks in his box. He's not a happy-go-lucky, must-make-it-to-the-top-at-all-costs guy. So what. It is clear he's conflicted, has anger management issues, isn't necessarily focused on playing the best tennis he possibly can. Sound familiar? He's Everyman in a lot of ways. This is why I like him.[\QUOTE]

As a tennis fan i don't care how many chicks Safin has in his box or how he lives his life. The only thing i am interested in is his performance on court and obviously i've been disappointed lately as many others, because everybody knows how talented he is.
These guys are payed heavily to make a good show. When they don't deliver what they are supposed to, well then there are always many newcomers eager to take their place.

I won't argue against his skill. It is clear he's a true challenger to the top players.

But he's no Safin. Safin is one of few genuine personalities in the game. We all love to dish on him, criticize him for flaking out, but deep down we all continue to wait for him to deliver another stunning performance. He has chosen to live his tennis life differently than what mainstream tennis fans and commentators are used to. Just listen to Mary Carillo lament "the fall of safin", "the waste of talent" blah blah. Try and tell me this guy isn't enjoying his life, look at the chicks in his box. He's not a happy-go-lucky, must-make-it-to-the-top-at-all-costs guy. So what. It is clear he's conflicted, has anger management issues, isn't necessarily focused on playing the best tennis he possibly can. Sound familiar? He's Everyman in a lot of ways. This is why I like him.

Lost his balls? Hardly. To live the fast-lane life that he does, and still show up for the tournaments, that take brass ones.

If I were a tennis pro, I'd do it like Safin, no question. He's having a great time.

Did I mention the chicks?

cheers

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Yeah,I'm with you actually.In another thread I wrote something similar without having read your post.

I'd do it like him too,no question,cause I'm the same way,which is why I like him so much in the first place-appart from his beautiful game when he's on,but when was the last time that happened?

His performances this year have been disheartening,even to me,arguably his biggest appreciator in the eastern Mediterrenean.I just can't watch him selfdestruct like that any more.That match with Vliegen gave me grey hair.

Djoko is the one guy that is somewhat close to him AND is a winner and a champion and a great ballstriker and a class act.He's still my no.2 player but I don't get to even watch that many Safin matches at all these days.
Djoko has proven that he's afraid of nobody and can beat them all.I expect great things from him.This US Open could be his beakthrough.

Its not hard to see why Fed continues to diss the Djoker, which is a bit out of character. And I agree with the irritating as hell ball bouncing. At one point today Courier started counting them, and it was ~9. He said he's seen him go as high as 18. Sure enough on the very next point, 18 ball bounces + 5 or 6 before the service motion.

Its not hard to see why Fed continues to diss the Djoker, which is a bit out of character. And I agree with the irritating as hell ball bouncing. At one point today Courier started counting them, and it was ~9. He said he's seen him go as high as 18. Sure enough on the very next point, 18 ball bounces + 5 or 6 before the service motion.

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But if he is not breaking the time rule, its just his way of serving. Why shoudl that be the reason for bashing the guy ? Everyone has their own thing, fed used to bounce the ball between the legs. Maybe someone is bothered by federers very fast service motion, very short brakes between serves and ebtween first and second serve.

Its all personall, differs form player to player. As long as within rules its okay by me.

Btw - todays match lasting 4.45mins, give hima credit friend. They jave to get that little bit of extra rest between points at least in these situations.

Just write this again, was todays match boaring ? Go to pro results section, there are people having discussion about this maybe being a best ever USO match, I think its not close but it was FAR FROM boaring. Id just like to hear from you now ..

But if he is not breaking the time rule, its just his way of serving. Why shoudl that be the reason for bashing the guy ? Everyone has their own thing, fed used to bounce the ball between the legs. Maybe someone is bothered by federers very fast service motion, very short brakes between serves and ebtween first and second serve.

Its all personall, differs form player to player. As long as within rules its okay by me.

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true , everyone has his own way to serve so whats wrong if djokovic bouncing the ball for numerous ,as long as he does not break the rule.

Djoker is a good character, and mentally much more balanced than Marat. He´s very much into tennis and very ambitious and smart. Mentally, he has what it takes to be a champion, physically and shot-wise, he does not compare to Safin, though his game is really good, and he still has time improve.
But of course, he cannot replace Safin, no one ever can
As for Safin partying, he was drilled as a kid, now he´s having fun. But to be honest, his crisis right now does not come from not working hard or partying, I think, he is working hard and motivated, just mentally in a dark whole.